Union Patriot Capital

Posted: Wed., Apr. 8, 1998

Mendelsohn buys his way into 'White House'

Shells out low six figures against $1 mil for script

By BENEDICT CARVER

Indie film financier Michael Mendelsohn has paid low six figures against $1 million for the script "The White House: Secret Service" by Jonathan Brett.

Mendelsohn will team with producer Robert Rehme to make the pic, which the duo envision as a high-concept actioner with a production tab of as much as $70 million.

In "Secret Service," the White House is overrun by terrorists. With the President incapacitated and most of the executives dead, a Secret Service agent must avert a nuclear war.

The film will be a co-production between Mendelsohn's Patriot Pictures and Rehme's Rehme Prods. Mendelsohn said he planned to raise as much as 55% of the budget from a foreign distribution consortium, which is currently being assembled.

Rehme and Mendelsohn, who are packaging the project together, hope to begin shooting in late summer. The duo said they may team on other projects.

Brett previously penned another high-concept actioner, "Turbulence," which he sold to Rysher Entertainment for $1 million. That pic only pulled in $12 million at the U.S. box office.

Mendelsohn was attracted to "Secret Service" after his involvement with last year's President-in-jeopardy movie "Air Force One." Mendelsohn -- whose Union Patriot Capital outfit is the loan portfolio manager for the Paribas Entertainment Finance Group -- arranged production financing and provided production services to Beacon Communications, the producers of the $90 million "Air Force One."

The Harrison Ford starrer, which was jointly distributed by Columbia Pictures and Buena Vista Intl., grossed north of $300 million worldwide.

Brett is repped by Endeavor.